Device for cleaning pipes and tubes



June 24, 1969 w, W LL E DEVICE FOR CLEANING PIPES AND .TUBES Filed Feb. 23. 1 968 FIG. 3

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United States Patent 3,451,091 DEVICE FOR CLEANING PIPES AND TUBES James W. Wallace, 320 Morningside Drive, Baywood Village, Palm Harbor, Fla. 33563 Filed Feb. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 707,581 Int. Cl. B08b 9/04, 1/00 U.S. 'Cl. 15104.06 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plug to be forced through a tubular passage to clean the same, said plug comprising a predetermined length of rope formed of conventionally twisted fibers of biodegradable organic material, said length being centrally bound by a wrapping of similar material, and having a ratio of length to diameter sufiicient to permit such length to pass through curved sections of such tubular passage.

The concept of cleaning the tubes of boilers, condensers, heat exchangers and the like by fitting a plug into the tube and then applying hydraulic or pneumatic pressure to force the plug through the tube is, of course, old and numerous plugs have been designed for that purpose. Such plugs, however, in their construction have had to be accurately sized for the particular pipe to be cleaned.

The present invention contemplates such a plug formed, however, from conventional rope such as manila or sisal and preferably from such rope after it has served its original purpose and has become so weakened with age and use as to be ready for the paper making market.

Rope or sisal or manila fibers is preferred since these are distinctly biodegradable so that if, by any chance, a plug is left in the system, it will rapidly disintegrate and present no problems of stoppage or blocking.

The above and other objects will be made clear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation showing a continuous length of rope from which a plug has been severed and formed;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 shows a method of inserting the plug into a tube; and

FIGURE 4 shows the tube being propelled by fluid pressure through the pipe.

In FIGURE 1, there is shown a length of rope 10, which length may be considerable. One of the advantages of the present invention is that rope may be purchased in indefinite lengths, stored in ordinary reels or coils and for the purpose of this invention any desired short lengths 12 may be severed therefrom. The diameter of the rope, of course, is selected to have, say, a snug running fit in the tube to be cleaned. As will appear hereinafter, the fit need not be precise, since the plug will expand upon axial compression. Once the appropriate length 12 has been severed, it is preferably given a central binder 14 which is simply ordinary string preferably made of the same type of fiber as the rope itself. The essential point is that the binder 14 should be equally biodegradable with the rope itself so that if a plug with its binding gets into the system of which the tube is a part, it can be counted on for rapid disintegration and, therefore, will present a minimum danger of stoppage or blocking of the tube or any other part of the system to which it may migrate. The binder 14- will usually make use of the guide 18 (FIGURE 3 and hereinafter discussed) unnecessary.

FIGURE 2 shows the rope as made up of four 3,451,091 Patented June 24, 1969 ice major strands 16, each of which in turn is made up of a plurality of minor strands, each of which itself is made up of twisted fibers. In the process of rope making normally all of the fibers have the same helicoidal twist. The binder 14 is schematically illustrated. The precise number of major strands is, of course, immaterial. All that is required is that the fibers be biodegradable.

It is a characteristic of all ropes made up of helically twisted strands that under tension the strands tend to contract and reduce the external diameter of the rope. Conversely, when such a rope is submitted to axial compression there is a tendency for any strands to loosen and therefore to expand the external diameter. The binding 14 holds the strands against expansion within its axial extent but the strands on either side of the wrapping 14 are free to expand.

In FIGURE 3, a tube 18 is shown having a funnel mouth 20 into which an end of the rope 10 is inserted. Prior to insertion of the rope 10', its free end receives a wrapper 14. The wrapped end is inserted through the funnel 20 into the tube 18 which acts as a guide to project the desired length 12 of the rope into a condenser tube 22 shown swaged into a condenser wall 24. The diameter of the rope 10 has been selected to have a snug running fit into the tube 22 and once an appropriate length 12 is in the tube 22, any conventional severing means can be used to cut it off from the body of the rope 10. In FIG- URE 4, an air or steam gun 26 having a funnel mouth carrying a gasket 30 has been pressed against the wall 24 approximately centered on the tube 22 containing a plug 12. A handle 32 contains a conventional trigger valve 34 supplied by an air or steam line 36. When the trigger 34 opens the valve, pressure is applied to the tube 22 in the direction of the arrows 38. This forces the plug 12 through the tube.

The binder 14 may be applied, at intervals, to a considerable length of rope, in which case severance can be between the binders. When the binder 14 is used, frequently the plug can be salvaged and reused. When, however, salvage is not a consideration, the binder can be omitted and a slightly greater length of rope fed through the tube 18.

It is to be noted that the rear end 12' of the plug 12 reacts to the application of pressure by expanding so as to form virtually a driving band to render the pressure effective. Such back pressure as the plug may encounter has the same effect on the fibers of the leading end 12". In the case of sisal or manila, the fibers have considerable individual stiffness and there is, therefore, a brushing or scouring effect incident to the wiping effect of the general passage of the plug 12 through the tube 22.

Since the bends or curves to be encountered by the plug on its passage through the tube will be known as to radius, it is a simple matter to select a proper ratio of length to diameter of the plug 12 to permit it easily to conform to such bends and therefore to traverse the entire system represented by the tube 22.

While certain structural details have been described in connection with the above specification and certain materials have been mentioned, the invention is not to be limited either to the details disclosed nor to the materials mentioned. The only essential of the material is that it be biodegradable and that of whatever material the binding 14 may be formed, it should be equally biodegradable.

What is claimed is:

1. A tube cleaner comprising a length of rope formed of twisted strands, the strands being formed of twisted fibers, the central portion of said length being wrapped in a plurality of coils of cord, said cord and said rope being formed of biodegradable material.

2. A tube cleaner as set forth in claim 1, in which the rope is formed of manila fibers.

3. A tube cleaner as set forth in claim 1, in which the rope is formed of sisal fibers.

4. A tube cleaner as set forth in claim 1, in which the rope has a ratio of length to diameter predetermined with respect to the minimum radius of the bends it is to encounter in the tube system to be cleaned.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

